


iWanna Stay With Spencer

by kazoobard



Category: iCarly
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:21:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24519880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazoobard/pseuds/kazoobard
Summary: A rewrite of the season 1, episode 5 iCarly episode "iWanna Stay With Spencer." Instead of seeing Spencer as irresponsible, Granddad is upset that Spencer has a boyfriend.
Relationships: Carly Shay/Sam Puckett (background) (kinda), Spencer Shay/Otto (background)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 88





	iWanna Stay With Spencer

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't a very shippy work, sorry. It's got minor relationship stuff, but it's more about Spencer's personal journey and how much he and Carly care about one another. To be honest, I'm embarrassed to be writing about iCarly in the year 2020 but it was a lot of fun.

“Speeeenceeeer!”

Spencer groans and lifts his head up from the couch’s headrest, the man next to him shifting. “Whaaaat?”

Carly bounds down the stairs, cell phone in hand. “Talk to Granddad, he’s on the phone!”

Spencer takes the phone from Carly’s hand and holds it to his ear. “Hello?” He pauses for a moment and looks up at Carly. “He hung up.”

“He did say he didn’t wanna talk to you, I thought he was joking.”

“Yeah, he’s upset with me because of my last sculpture.”

Carly takes her phone back. “It was disturbing.”

“So everyone keeps telling me!”

The man on the couch turns to Spencer, concerned. “What was it?”

Carly turns to him, seeming to notice him for the first time. “Oh, it was—“

Spencer clears his throat. “He doesn’t need to know!”

Carly gives in and turns to her brother. “Fine. Anyway, uh, Spencer?”

“Mm?”

“Who is this man on our couch?”

“Oh! This is Socko’s cousin, Otto.”

“The guy who sells used cars?”

Otto smiles. “That’s me.”

Carly smiles back politely and gives her brother a pointed look. “Please don’t tell me you’re here to sell Spencer a car, he doesn’t need—“

“No, no,” Otto shakes his head, smiling good-naturedly and leaning his head on Spencer’s shoulder. “I’m not working right now. We were just—“

“Leaving!” Spencer shoots up out of his seat. “Leaving, we were just leaving!”

Carly’s brow scrunches. “Okay, weirdo. Well, Granddad is coming to visit next week so you better help me clean up the apartment before then.”

Spencer groans, grabbing Otto and pulling him toward the door. “I don’t waaanna!”

Carly sighs, failing to hide a laugh. “You have-taaaaaaa!”

“Bye, Carly!” Otto waves as Spencer pushes him out the door, complaining to Carly on his way out.

Spencer shuts the door behind him and turns to Otto, leaned patiently against the opposite wall of the hallway, arms crossed. “What was that about?”

Spencer’s face flushes, embarrassed. “Oh, you were wondering about that?”

“About why you pushed me out the door as soon as I touched you?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, actually I was wondering about that.”

“Okay, I was just checking, cuz I thought it might’ve been—“

“Spencer.”

Spencer looks away, crossing his arms uncomfortably. “I, uh—”

“You haven’t told your sister about us.”

“I— Look, Otto, I’m really sorry. I wanted to tell her, but—“

“Hey, it’s okay.” Otto pushes himself off the wall, his soft voice making Spencer’s heart pound. He slides his hands down Spencer’s arms and intertwines their fingers together. “It’s okay that you’re not ready, you just could have told me so I didn’t accidentally… mess anything up.”

“I was scared, I thought you might dump me because of it.” Spencer slides his eyes away from Otto’s.

Otto reaches up to Spencer’s face and cups his cheek. “I could never.”

Otto tilts his head up to kiss Spencer, and the taller man reciprocates happily.

***

The door slams open. “Hey there, gumdrop!”

“Granddad!” Carly runs from the kitchen toward her grandfather, holding out her arms to hug him.

“GRANDDAD!”

Spencer flies down from the stairs and vaults over the couch, his long limbs shoving Carly aside and pushing her to the floor. He intercepts the hug meant for Carly, lifting the old man’s feet off the ground.

“Good to see you, Spencer!” Granddad bellows, keeping a wary eye on his grandson. “Put me down!”

Spencer obliges while Carly pushes the hair out of her face, scoffing. “Hey!”

“Oh my God, Carly! Sorry!” Spencer yanks her up from the ground and pushes her hair from her face. He pauses for a moment and musses it up again. “Looks great.”

Carly giggles, pushing Spencer’s hands away, and embraces her grandfather. “Hi, Granddad, I missed you.”

“Hey, Carly,” Spencer says, “didn’t you have a present for Granddad?”

“Oh, yeah!” Carly runs up the stairs, shouting, “Be right back!”

Carly pushes her bedroom door open and grabs the small wrapped box from her nightstand. She makes her way down the hall but stops short of turning the corner, hearing the hushed voice of her brother downstairs.

“Is this the only reason you came down here?”

Her grandfather whispered back. “Now I understand that you’ve been… like this… for a long time, but it doesn’t mean you can drag that little girl into it.”

Spencer’s voice broke through, quiet but unusually angry. “I’m not dragging her into anything. Carly and I are super close, I feel awful keeping this from her.”

“Why do you have to tell her now?”

“Otto’s my first boyfriend since I was eighteen, and we’re getting serious. I want her to get to know him.”

“Why can’t she get to know a woman?” “Because I’m not in love with a woman.”

Granddad scoffs. “A loss for women everywhere.”

Carly bites her lip, mildly shocked but mostly angry for her brother.

“Granddad—“

“It’s not right, Spencer. It’s private and it should be none of her business. She’s a child.”

“Carly is a teenager, and I’m the one who takes care of her. Not you.”

Granddad’s voice gets much lower. “I suggest you call your friend and tell him not to come around anymore. That is, if you still want to be the one who takes care of her.”

***

A soft knock wakes Spencer from sleep. He opens bleary eyes to see Carly standing in the doorway, in her pajamas. “You okay?” he mumbles.

“Can I come lay down with you?” She’s thirteen now. A teenager. But she’s standing there like she used to when she had a nightmare. She looks so small, like a little kid again.

Spencer nods, scooting over to make room for her. She climbs into bed and he smooths her hair back from her face. “You okay, kiddo?”

“I can’t sleep.”

“That’s okay, you can stay here tonight.”

Silence. Spencer closes his eyes again, drifting into sleep, drifting into—

“Is granddad gonna take me away?”

Spencer’s heart stops. “Why would you say that?”

“I, uh… he seemed really mad at you at dinner.”

“It’ll blow over, kiddo. Not a big deal.”

“Promise?”

Spencer stays silent. They’re quiet for a few minutes, and he thinks that Carly might be asleep, but—

“You know I could never hate you, right, Spencer?”

Spencer swallows hard, choking out a lie. “Yeah, Carly, I know.”

***  
“Hello? Earth to Carly?”

Carly’s head snaps up. “What?”

Sam snorts. “Wow, you really are on another planet. I’ve been trying to get your attention for like five minutes.”

“Sorry.” Carly opens her locker, rifling through her books. “I’m all stressed about Spencer.”

“Why, what’s wrong with Spencer?” Sam pauses. “Aside from what’s normally wrong with him.”

“My granddad wants to take me away from him.”

Sam whirls around to face Carly. “What? He can’t do that! Why?”

“Promise you won’t tell.”

“Of course not.”

“I’m serious, Sam. You can’t tell anyone. Especially Freddie.”

Sam takes a sandwich bag out of her locker and grabs a piece of the lunch meat inside. She takes a bite. “Like I wanna tell Fredward anything.”

Carly sighs and drags Sam into a corner. She lowers her voice, glancing around to make sure nobody’s listening. “Spencer has a boyfriend.”

Sam’s eyes light up. “Spencer’s gay? Wow, your brother’s cooler than I thought.”

“Sam, this is serious! I don’t want Granddad to take me away to Yakama.”

“Sorry, sorry. Well, what are you gonna do?”

“What do you mean, what am I gonna do?”

Sam scoffs. “Well, you can’t just sit there and let it happen. You have to convince him to let you stay.”

“How am I gonna do that?” Carly grumbles, dragging her feet back to her locker.

“I dunno. How do you convince a grumpy old man to let you stay with your brother and his boyfriend?”

A distinct, new voice chirps, “Spencer has a boyfriend?” Freddie.

“Sam!” Carly whips around, eyes wide.

“Sorry! I didn’t realize Fred-weird could be so quiet. He never stops talking.”

“I’m right here, you know,” he replies, annoyed.

Carly turns toward Freddie. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t. But I’m a little upset you didn’t want me to help out, I’m much better at coming up with ideas than she is.”

“Shut up, freak.”

“Slob.”

“Mamma’s boy.”

“Hey!” Carly shouts. “This isn’t helping.”

Sam and Freddie both mumble apologies, and Carly sighs. “Now help me come up with ideas for how to convince Granddad to let me stay.”

“Well, your granddad thinks you’re like a perfect little angel, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

A smile spreads on Sam’s face. “Then whatever he thinks is wrong with Spencer won’t seem so bad if his little gumdrop is the same way.”

“What?”

“Yeah, yeah!” Freddie says, “if you come out and say you kissed Sam or whatever, then he won’t care if Spencer’s gay or bisexual or whatever.”

“No, Sam’s not gonna want me to say that.”

“No, it’s fine,” Sam says quietly, looking at the ground, arms crossed. “I don’t care.” Her face is red.

Carly grins. “Cool! I guess I have a plan, then.”

Sam smiles at the ground. “Cool.”

***

Carly stares down at her spaghetti taco, head buzzing. She glances up across the table to see Granddad staring at Spencer, and looks down again. She can hear Sam poking at her food, too anxious to eat.

Carly clears her throat. “I have something to say.”

Spencer and Granddad turn toward her, Sam looking down at her lap.

“What do you have to say, gumdrop?” Granddad asks.

Carly stands up out of her seat, taking a shaky breath. “Sam?”

Sam stands, clutching her stomach, and reaching for the back door. “I need some air.”

Carly watches anxiously as Sam leaves and wipes her hands down her dress, glancing from her brother to her grandfather nervously. Spencer reaches out to her, placing a hand on her arm. “You okay, kid?”

“I want to say something to you guys, because I care about both of you a lot, and I think you should know.”

“Okay, kiddo, go ahead.”

Carly takes a deep breath. “I kissed Sam.”

“You WHAT?” Granddad bellows.

“Really?” Spencer asks, smiling up at her with familiar manic energy. “Was it fun? Did she kiss you back? Is that why Sam didn’t eat her spaghetti taco?”

“Uh—“

“Sorry, kid, I’m getting ahead of myself.” Spencer stands, wrapping her in a hug. “Thanks for telling me, Carly, that was really brave of you.”

“It’s not brave.” Granddad stands, squaring his shoulders and standing from the table. “It’s bullshit.”

Spencer steps in front of Carly, blocking her from their grandfather. “Stop. This is not the time to—“

“This is your fault!”

“Granddad, seriously, we need to show support—“

“Shut up, Spencer! You’re the one who made her confused, putting all these ideas in her head about what you consider to be good and appropriate—“

“Stop it!” Carly shouts. She shoves past Spencer, getting in her grandfather’s face. “You’re acting like a jerk and I’m sick of it!”

“Carly, go upstairs. Your brother and I need to talk.”

“No. You’ve been nothing but horrible to Spencer the whole time you’ve been here. I thought that telling you I kissed Sam would make you realize what an idiot you’ve been about Spencer being gay.”

Spencer speaks quietly. “You know I’m gay?”

Carly turns to look at him. “I’m sorry, I overheard you and Granddad talking. I didn’t mean to listen in. At first. But then after that it was totally on purpose.” She shuffles her feet. “I’m really sorry, Spencer.”

“It’s okay.” He puts a hand on her shoulder, smiling nervously. “Does that freak you out?”

“No.”

“Wait,” Granddad says, “You didn’t kiss your friend?”

“No, I didn’t. I’m sorry for lying about that, too.”

Granddad sighs. “I’m— I’m not going to pretend to understand what’s going on with you, Spencer. But if Carly is willing to lie like that, about this of all things, in order to protect you, it’s clear that she cares a lot about you.”

“So you’re not going to make me move to Yakama?”

He smiles softly. “No. I need to figure out how to understand this, but I— I think it’s worth understanding.”

Spencer breathes a sigh of relief, running a hand through his hair. Carly looks toward the door, heart sinking. “I think I’d better go check on Sam.”

***  
“You forgot your spaghetti taco.”

Sam turns to see Carly standing behind her with her plate. She turns away again and wipes the tears from her eyes, pulling her knees to her chest. “Sorry for running out. I was just…”

Carly sits beside Sam, setting the plate on the ground. “I know why you freaked out back there.”

“Oh, you do?” Sam stares at the ground, biting at her cuticles and spitting them back out onto the ground. She can feel Carly watching her.

“Uh huh.”

Sam’s face feels hot, she’s suddenly defensive. “Look, Carly, I don’t know what you want me to—“

The pressure of Carly’s lips is sudden against her own. Sam makes a small noise of surprise before leaning into it, smiling into the soft embrace of her friend’s hands on her cheeks, and the soft, warm feeling no boy has ever given her. She wonders if Carly can feel her face heating up, but that thought is quickly wiped from her mind as Carly’s lips go in again, and Sam’s brain dissolves into a mushy puddle of smiles and strawberry-flavored lips.


End file.
